“The deal is close, but it’s not done.”
For much of last week, the White House was signaling that an agreement with Iran was finally within reach.
Donald Trump himself suggested the deal was largely finished. Officials spoke openly about progress. Regional allies were being briefed. There was growing belief that weeks of tension, military confrontation and economic disruption might be nearing an end.
Then Trump changed parts of the deal.
The president sent back revisions to the proposed agreement after a Friday meeting with top advisers, reopening negotiations and extending the diplomatic back and forth into another week.
The exact changes have not been fully disclosed.
But officials familiar with the discussions told CNN that Trump pushed for tougher language around Iran’s nuclear commitments and stronger guarantees involving the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping route that has remained at the center of the crisis.
One foreign official familiar with the talks said the revisions were not major changes to the framework itself but were aimed at securing firmer assurances from Tehran.
Even so, the move highlighted something that has repeatedly shaped Trump’s approach to diplomacy.
Deals often remain fluid until the very end.
Inside the White House Situation Room on Friday, advisers met for roughly two hours as Trump reviewed the proposed agreement and weighed whether to approve it. By the end of the meeting, no final decision had been made.
“The deal is largely finalized,” Trump had said only days earlier.
That confidence now appears more complicated.
Part of the disagreement centers on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Trump publicly stated that the United States would take control of the material and destroy it. Iranian officials, however, have repeatedly insisted that details involving their nuclear program are not currently part of the negotiations.
There is also tension surrounding sanctions relief and financial concessions.
Trump has reportedly expressed concern about any arrangement that could resemble the Obama era nuclear agreement, which he has frequently criticized over the years. The White House is particularly sensitive to comparisons involving large financial transfers to Tehran.
Iran, meanwhile, has maintained that economic relief must be included in any final agreement.
That leaves negotiators trying to bridge two positions that still appear far apart in some areas.
“What matters to us is tangible achievements,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, according to Iranian media.
Beyond the political negotiations, pressure continues to build across the region.
The United States has maintained its military blockade targeting Iranian shipping routes, and officials say more than 100 vessels have already been redirected since operations began. US forces recently disabled another commercial vessel that officials said was attempting to reach an Iranian port despite repeated warnings.
The economic consequences are also becoming harder to ignore.
Energy markets remain tense. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important routes for oil shipments, and analysts have warned that prolonged disruptions could continue affecting global supply chains and fuel prices.
For now, neither side appears ready to walk away.
American officials say a final agreement remains possible. Some believe it could still happen within days if the remaining disputes are resolved.
But after weeks of announcements, declarations and shifting expectations, there is also caution.
Because this deal has been described as nearly finished before.
And yet the negotiations keep moving.
For now, the war may be paused, the diplomats may still be talking and the agreement may still be alive.
But it is clearly not settled yet.
